Faculty of Design

Illustration

Cathy Feng

Princess Pea

Today's Princess Pea is repainted as an introverted and perceptive online writer. She lives in a digital world woven of words and emotions, surrounded by softly flickering screens, messy stacks of books and unfinished manuscripts. She no longer loses sleep over a pea under her mattress but is sensitive to subtle social cues, interpersonal tensions, and unspoken mood swings. Instead of being crushed, this emotional “oppression” became the source of her creativity. Her sensitivity is no longer a weakness, but a strength, an ability to resonate, to break the silence, to connect with others. This illustration encourages children to reconceptualize sensitivity as an important way to understand others, to express themselves, and to engage in dialogue with the wider world.